Energy for Londoners (1)

Leonie Cooper: How much of the £34m Energy for Londoners budget has been spent? Please break the total figure down by year and project.

The Mayor: So far £17.25 million has been spent as per the below breakdown, up to and including 31st December 2019.

Breakdown per project 2016-2019: 

Breakdown per year: 

Extinction Rebellion (2)

Peter Whittle: I note the events of the morning of 17 October at Canning Town Underground Station, in which members of the public pulled two members of Extinction Rebellion off the roof of a tube train. Where were the police that morning?

The Mayor: I strongly condemn the actions of the Extinction Rebellion protestors who targeted the DLR. This illegal action was extremely dangerous and counterproductive which caused unacceptable disruption to Londoners who use public transport. It was also an unfair burden on our already stretched police officers. I urge all demonstrators to protest peacefully within the boundaries of the law.
The British Transport Police (BTP) deploy officers based on intelligence and information present at the time. On 17 October, a proportionate response was deployed based on this. Following reports that two members of the public had climbed on top of a train at Canning Town Underground Station, officers were dispatched and arrived shortly after 07:00. Two arrests were made under the charge of Obstructing Trains contrary to Section 35 of the Malicious Damage Act 1861.

Policing Extinction Rebellion protests and the unlawful section 14 order (3)

Siân Berry: On 6 November 2019, the High Court concluded that the London-wide section 14 order imposed by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on 14 October 2019 had been unlawful. There were many people arrested under this order while it was in place. Will those arrested under this unlawful order have their arrest removed from their records and from all police databases?

The Mayor: In line with normal practice when a case is discontinued they will be notified and all biometric data taken when in custody will be automatically deleted. An individual can apply to have their details deleted from other databases.Applications can be made through,www.acro.police.uk/Services/Record-deletion. Decisions are taken on a case by case basis.

Healthy Streets funding by borough

Caroline Russell: In your answer to my question 2019/0240 about Healthy Streets funding you said: “spend by borough for both financial years 17/18 and 18/19 will be provided at the end of the current Financial Year.” Will you now supply this information?

The Mayor: I have attached the Healthy Streets funding by borough for 2017/18 and 2018/19.
The figures show spend on both the borough road network and Transport for London’s road network (TLRN). This funding originates from a number of sources:
Borough network
TLRN
Finally, it’s worth noting that where projects span multiple boroughs, a comparatively crude assessment is made of the relative spend in each borough, therefore, these figures will inevitably be subject to a small margin of error.

Low Emission Zone (2)

Leonie Cooper: What engagement have you held with the freight industry to prepare for the rollout of Low Emission Zone standards?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has engaged extensively with the freight industry to ensure they are prepared for the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standards tightening from the 26 October this year. In October 2019, it began a publicity campaign including using trade press, radio adverts, paid Google search, the ‘Motorway Buddy’ truck stop app, posters at key sites such as motorway service stations, and emails to their industry database. TfL has started to send letters via the DVLA to owners of non-compliant vehicles observed in the LEZ. Early this year, it will be sending letters to all non-compliant vehicle owners using addresses supplied by the DVLA.
TfL has also spoken directly with industry stakeholders such as the Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association and Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders. TfL has also engaged with the industry through the LoCITY programme, a TfL funded forum which brings manufacturers, fleet operators, trade associations and the government together to increase the uptake and availability of low emission commercial vehicles. This engagement will continue in the run up to the standards changing.
In addition, TfL organise a twice annual Freight Forum to engage with stakeholders across the freight and servicing industry. The LEZ and Ultra Low Emission Zone preparations and impacts have been discussed at these events over the past two years.

Taxi Apps

Keith Prince: I have been contacted by a taxi driver, who has raised a concern with TfL and the Metropolitan Police, claiming that some apps that are operating in the taxi market are either aiding and abetting a criminal act and benefiting from the proceeds of crime or avoiding their VAT liability. You should be aware of this because the taxi driver has also written to you directly. Do you acknowledge these concerns and have you written to the Metropolitan Police and HMRC to raise these concerns?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime responded to this letter in August.The Met’s Cab enforcement unit is aware of these complaints.

Pollution and Ash Grove Bus Depot

Jennette Arnold: Kings College London’s London Air Map shows that the area around the Ash Grove Bus Depot fails the annual mean pollution objectives. Please list the work being done by TfL in the short term to make this area less polluted and to protect the health of my constituents.

The Mayor: I want London to have the cleanest air of any major world city and this is why I am putting in place a package of hard-hitting measures to tackle the public health crisis created by London’s air pollution. This includes cleaning up London’s bus and taxi fleets, conducting air quality audits around London’s schools, and introducing the world’s first 24/7 Ultra Low Emission Zone in Central London.
Transport for London (TfL) is working as fast as possible to ensure the entire bus fleet meets the ultra-low Euro VI emission standard or better by autumn 2020. Around 85 per cent of the bus fleet meets this standard across London and most vehicles based at Ash Grove Bus Depot have recently been upgraded.
This year, the entire fleet will be upgraded through a combination of retrofitting mid-life buses and replacing older buses with new vehicles. The current bus fleet also includes 280 zero-emission buses and this number will rise further this year as more pure-electric buses enter the fleet, helping to cut harmful pollutants immediately.
TfL and its bus operators have put preventive measures in place at Ash Grove Bus Depot to limit noise and air pollution and are fully aware of the sensitivities of this location. This includes regular meetings with flat residents, adding notices about noise to driver duty cards, instructions to switch off engines when the vehicle is not moving, changing the run in of buses from the front to back gates to reduce congestion and following a revised procedure to minimise disruption when refuelling vehicles safely at night. TfL carried out night visits to assess residents’ concerns and continues to work with the operators to reduce impacts as far as possible. The introduction of hybrid buses should have a positive impact and this should continue as lower and zero-emission vehicles progressively join the fleet.